Dr Richardson on the Frozen Soil of North America. 119 



inches, and consequently as much exposed to the influence of frost as a 

 place can be. 



Feet. Inches. 



Dug witli the spade to the depth of . . . • 7 8 

 Pierced with a wooden stake from the point where the use 



of the spade was left off, owing to water, to the depth of 5 



No frost or ice discovered to this depth, . .12 8 



Quality of the Soil. 



Feet. Inehe% 



3 Loose mould. 



5 Mixture of whitish loam and sand. 



1 3 Pure sand. 



2 Loam and sand. 



2 Loam of a lead colour. 



8 Lighter coloured loam. 



1 1 Lead-coloured loam. 



7 8 

 From the appearance of the earth adhering to the stake, the next five 

 feet was judged to be lead-coloured loam. 



" On the 28th September 1835, a pit was dug about a mile to the east- 

 ward of the house, in a green bluff of pines, and consequently sheltered 

 from drift. 



Feet. I.ielies, 



Dug with the spade to the depth of ... 83 



Pierced with a wooden stake after the water flowed in, . 7 



No frost or ice discovered to this depth, . . • 15 3 



Quality of the Soil. 



Light mould. 



Sand. 



Sand and lime. 



Whitish-coloured loam. 



Lead-coloured ditto. 



8 3 



The quality of the remaining depth supposed to be loam. 



" On 2!)th September 1835, a stake of twelve feet in length was driven 

 with east- into a small swamp that is tolerabby well sheltered, being sur- 

 rounded with pine trees and within a mile of the house. No ice was dis- 

 covered at that depth. In this situation the spade could not be used 

 owing to water. 



" On the 27th February last, a grave was dug here in the burying 

 Round, which is enclosed by stockades six feet seven inches high, for in- 

 terring the remains of a poor old woman who unfortunately was frozen 

 to death on the 2.5th of the same month. In digging this grave it was dis- 

 covered that the frost had not penetrated into the soil above eight or ten 

 inches, but then the drifted snow lay as high at lean as the stockades 

 that surrounded it." 



** From the foregoing observations, it maybe inferred that the soil in 



